Contents

Story

Peter Parker has been saving lives and fighting supervillains as Spider-Man for about a year and is still learning the ropes on being a superhero. Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. finds Peter and offers the young hero a chance to be trained becoming the "Ultimate Spider-Man" while learning to work with other teenage superheroes. [1]

In a break from other series, Spider-Man will break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience. It will also include fantasy sequences from Peter's mind. [2]

Animation

In terms of design, the producers made sure that the animation team knew about the style and history of Spider-Man art. They wanted to make sure that the animation team took all of those ideas and put them into the animation of the series. An animation test shown at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo in 2011 did match the comics quite closely. [3]

There will also be short-form series included in the animation block including[15]:

Fury Files: Top-secret access to S.H.I.E.L.D. video dossiers on key Marvel heroes, including Iron Fist, Power Man, Nova, and White Tiger, and the villains they face, are animated with mix of traditional animation and motion comic art.

Marvel Mash-Up: The Marvel Universe is turned upside down with these hilarious and unexpected takes on iconic Marvel heroes and villains, featuring classic animation edited with a comedic twist.

What Would It Take?: Get a glimpse into the science and modern technology required to create the heroes' gadgets, abilities and tech in real life, ranging from Iron Man's jet propulsion boots to Iron Fist's power-packed punch.

On April 13, 2010 after several months of near silence, Marvel Comics' Tom Brevoort was asked about Spectacular on formspring, and simply said, "That was a wonderful cartoon, but finished now." Though asked for clarification, he added, "I'm not officially connected to the show, so I can't tell you anything officially; the people connected with it will have to do that." This came along with the announcement of a new Spider-Man series based on the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. [20]

This will be the first Spider-Man project produced by Marvel Animation. Loeb said, "We have an incredible writing staff including Brian Michael Bendis who has written every single issue of Ultimate Spider Man, more than 150 issues in 10 years, Paul Dini, and Man of Action." Loeb stated that the focus on Peter trying to balancing his normal life as a teenager while trying to become a major league hero like Captain American, Iron Man, and the Avengers. [22]

Paul Dini, who is best known for his work for his work with DC Comics, will be writing with Bendis.

Concept art revealed at the 2011 Comic-Con showed Spider-Ham, though it is unknown if the character will appear in the series or if this was a joke.

The writers held a number of summits to discuss the show attended by Joe Kelly, Steven T. Seagle, Duncan Rouleau, Paul Dini, Brian Michael Bendis, Jeph Loeb, Joe Quesda, Stephen Wacker, Cort Lane, and Harrison Wilcox. The series deviated from most animated shows as it does not have a single story editor. Usually, the story editor works with the show's producers to break each story then assign the script to a freelance writer. However, Ultimate Spider-Man decided to emulate a traditional live-action series by having the writers get together to discuss the direction rather than do them separately. Wilcox said, "Because this is our Spider-Man show, and the first show that Marvel is producing itself, Jeph wanted to do things a little differently and have a writers' room meet together to break the story." In the first summit, the creators mapped out the entire first season. They planned out arcs for the heroes and villains as well as listing the general idea of each episode. Everyone in the summit had an equal voice, though not all were writers, so that everyone can add their own ideas. Through the summits, the group decided who would be best to write which episode. [23]

Drake Bell was a big fan of Spider-Man growing up. In preparation for the role, he went back and re-read the comics he grew up on. [24]

Marvel's Editor in Chief Axel Alonso said, "I couldn't be more excited for Marvel Universe. There is something special about The Avengers and Spider-Man that speaks to fans of all ages, and with the launch of Marvel Universe on Disney XD this April, what better way to connect the two experiences than these new ongoing series?"

The series would be written by Dan Slott and Ty Templeton with the art by Nuno Plati. Their goal was to have something for younger readers while exciting older comic book fans.

Issue number one will hit stores in March[25] (though originally slated for April[26]), the second will come in May[27], and the third in June. [28]

Reception

Early reviews for the series have been mixed but generally positive. The show has been compared positively to similar series Batman: The Brave and the Bold and the comic book series Scott Pilgrim. Though, critics have been divided on whether the comedy fits with the character or not.

In an advanced review of the pilot, Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode a 6 Okay out of 10. He noted that Spider-Man, like DC Comics' Batman, was the flagship character of Marvel Comics and has been continually in the public eye since his creation. He felt that the series was not just a rehash of the other series that came before it, and that Spider-man was in a different situation interacting with different characters than what has been seen before. Eric noted that Spider-Man encountered villains and heroes from other comic series while at the same time acknowledging his own rogues gallery. He appreciated J.K. Simmons coming back to the role from the films. However, he felt the tone and style of the series set it apart from other adaptations for better or worse. He felt that Spider-Man breaking the fourth wall was more suited for someone like Deadpool. He thought they made him more cartoony as they relied on old cliches. Eric noted that while Spider-Man has a great sense of humor, this style of comedy was not like him at all. He did not think if felt like Spider-Man as if forced. Though he did feel that some of the jokes were well done. While he appreciated most of the cast, he thought Drake Bell came off as overly whiney and grating. He did like seeing Clark Gregg in a crossover that could never happen in the films. He was disappointed that a series involving Paul Dini was not quite up to his usual standards. He felt that the series had a good crew behind it, but was not making a good use of the talent involved or character they used. He stated that the series lacked substance by trying to have serious moments in-between "wacky shenanigans," robbing the dramatic moments of their potential weight. He thought the animation was decent and the fight scenes were not impressive as The Spectacular Spider-Man was. He noted that there is room for more lighthearted versions of classic heroes, such as Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but felt that the series felt weightless as Spider-Man wasn't being taken seriously. "Look, kids will almost certainly love it. They love Spider-Man (and well they should) and the show is bright and silly with broad humor right up their alley. And that's fine. But considering this is Marvel's most recognizable, iconic character, in the first completely self-produced Spider-Man series Marvel has made, it feels like a missed opportunity for something that truly hit home with Spider-Man fans of all ages." [29]

However, the reviewers of Marvel Animation Age were more forgiving. Jeffrey Harris felt that it was unlike The Spectacular Spider-Man or Spider-Man but appropriate for Spider-Man. He thought the animation was better than Spectacular. He enjoyed the combination of goofy comedy and serious tone. James Harvey thought the show's approach to the character prevented it from becoming stale. He felt the jokes worked for the most part, but some did not. He did notice a kind of committee feel to the series. He felt that the comedy did not hurt the action and while cartoony did work in the context of the series. Though he did point out a lack of drama and depth to the series, as serious moments were ended quickly. James pointed out that while the series deviated from the source often it still alluded to its vast history. He did not feel there were any weak links in the crew and thought the cast was spot-on. He thought the animation was great and the character designs were nice. He pointed out Kevin Manthei's work on the score. He stated that there was potential to improve as long as it did not sacrifice character, though overly jokey tone would not please some long-time fans. "The animation is great – arguably the best Spidey has ever looked in animation – the characters are all well-defined if not a little flat, the set-up predictable but not boring, and the overall results are positive. Ultimate Spider-Man is a solid starting off point for younger viewers to be indoctrinated into the Spidey mythos, and hopefully for an enjoyable destination for long-time fans. As I said, it is worth giving a chance on." [30][31]